Waynflete School
4 mi ✓ Maine Town Tuitioning (approved for public tuition, 2025-26) Grades PreK-12 520 students 6.3 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed 90% to 4-year college
Private schools in Portland, ME
7 schools in Portland itself and 11 more within 12 miles. 3 of them are on the state’s Town tuitioning list. In a tuitioning town, your school district pays tuition, up to a state formula.
Portland private schools at a glance
Portland has 7 private schools of its own, and 11 more are within 12 miles. In Portland itself: 2 Catholic, 4 nonsectarian and 1 of other faiths; 6 teach elementary grades and 4 teach high school. Counting the 11 nearby, there are 18 in all: 3 Catholic, 2 other Christian, 12 nonsectarian and 1 of other faiths; 16 teach elementary grades and 9 teach high school; 2 are Montessori. All of them are co-ed. 3 report membership in a school association, most often the National Catholic Educational Association (2023-24 federal survey). Of the 4 high schools that reported it, the typical one sends 90% of graduates on to a 4-year college (2023-24 federal survey). The typical school has about 44 students and 6.1 students per teacher (2023-24 federal survey). 3 are on the official Town tuitioning list, 2 of them in Portland. We verified published tuition at 3 of these schools: the lowest-priced grade runs from $26,900 to $35,500 a year, and the middle figure is $31,528.
3 Catholic
6.1 students per teacher, typical
Private schools in Portland (7)
Schools that give Portland as their address come first, then the 11 more within 12 miles. In each group, schools on the official Town tuitioning list are first, then it goes by distance. No school can pay to change its place in this list or its badge.
Affiliation, co-ed or single-sex, association membership and the share of graduates going on to a 4-year college come from the 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey.
No school in Portland matches all of those.
Cheverus High School
6 mi ✓ Maine Town Tuitioning (approved for public tuition, 2025-26) Grades 9-12 344 students 11.1 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed 95% to 4-year college
Levey Day School
5 mi Grades K-8 44 students 5.6 students per teacher Jewish Special program emphasis Co-ed
Glickman Academy
6 mi Grades 4-12 31 students 6.2 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
St. Brigid School
6 mi Grades PreK-8 323 students 13.5 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Breakwater School
7 mi Grades PreK-8 98 students 6.1 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed
Grades PreK-12 20 students Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
Nearby, within 12 miles (11)
Schools in other towns within 12 miles of downtown Portland.
No nearby school matches all of those.
North Yarmouth Academy
12 mi ✓ Maine Town Tuitioning (approved for public tuition, 2025-26) Grades PreK-12 313 students 7.3 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed 90% to 4-year college
Holy Cross School
3 mi Grades PreK-8 95 students 4.8 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Aucocisco School
3 mi Grades 4-12 26 students 2.1 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
Grades PreK-12 136 students 7.6 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed 44% to 4-year college
Pine Grove School
6 mi Grades PreK-K Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Morrison Center
7 mi Grades K-12 16 students 5.3 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
Grades PreK-8 128 students 5.9 students per teacher Friends Co-ed
Grades 7-11 Under 10 K-12 students Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
Grades PreK-1 17 students 6.5 students per teacher Nonsectarian Early childhood Co-ed
Grades 2-6 Under 10 K-12 students Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
Winfield Childrens House
10 mi Grades PreK-K Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
On the state’s official list Other private schools
Are you a school near Portland? One sponsor per city, clearly labelled. Sponsor this city
Private school tuition near Portland
We verified published tuition at 3 of these schools: the lowest-priced grade runs from $26,900 to $35,500 a year, and the middle figure is $31,528. Each figure comes from the school’s own website, and we link it on the school’s page. Ask the others for their full-year price.
| School | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Cheverus High School | $26,900 | 2026-27 |
| Breakwater School | $31,528 to $33,029 | 2026-27 |
| Waynflete School | $35,500 to $43,240 | 2026-27 |
Ranges run from the lowest to the highest grade band the school publishes. How private school tuition compares by state.
What Maine pays, and what that leaves you
Maine Town Tuitioning Program Scholarship
Tuition paid by your school district, up to a state formula For 2025-26 the state average tuition rates were $13,077.51 (elementary) and $15,055.22 (secondary). Payments to private elementary schools may not exceed the statewide average; secondary rates add an allowance for building costs. The 2026-27 rates are due in December 2026.
Figures read from each program’s official pages, October 2, 2026. Sources and how to apply
What would you pay?
Enter amounts of $0 or more.
Tuition and fees Town tuitioning pays You pay per year Spread over 10 months
We could not confirm this year’s Town tuitioning amount, so type in the figure from your award letter. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.
Keep looking
- Catholic schools in Portland (3)
- Special education schools in Portland (6)
- Private high schools in Portland (9)
- Private elementary schools in Portland (16)
- Private middle schools in Portland (14)
- Private schools with kindergarten in Portland (13)
- Private schools with pre-K in Portland (11)
- All schools in Cumberland County
- Private schools in South Portland (5 mi)
- Private schools in Brunswick (21 mi)
- Private schools in Auburn (31 mi)
- Private schools in Lewiston (32 mi)
- Maine Town Tuitioning Program: amount and eligibility
- All Maine Town Tuitioning Program schools
Get one email when applications open
Most programs open once a year, and several ran out of money or seats in 2026. Pick your state (you are looking at Portland) and we will email you the day the next window opens, with the official link. That is the only email you get.
One email per application window. No calls, no sharing your details.
Questions parents ask
How many private schools are there in Portland?
7 private schools give Portland as their address. Counting nearby towns, we list 18: 7 in Portland and 11 within 12 miles of downtown. Together they enrolled about 2,144 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest in Portland is Waynflete School with 520 students.
How much does private school cost near Portland?
We verified published tuition at 3 of these schools: the lowest-priced grade runs from $26,900 to $35,500 a year, and the middle figure is $31,528. Each figure was read on the school’s own website. Required fees can be extra and prices vary by grade, so check the school’s page for your child’s grade.
Which Portland private schools take Town tuitioning?
3 of the 18 schools on this page are on the state’s official Town tuitioning list, 2 of them in Portland itself. They are marked with a green check and listed first in each group. The Maine Department of Education publishes two PDFs of private elementary and secondary schools approved to receive public tuition, covering 2020-21 through 2025-26 and dated January 23, 2026. Schools are approved each year. Schools marked with the badge here have a 2025-26 public tuition rate on those lists; we match by school name and town, or by a name that appears only once in the state.
Will Town tuitioning cover the whole tuition bill?
Sometimes, but do not count on it. In a tuitioning town, your school district pays tuition, up to a state formula, and schools set their own prices. Ask each school for tuition plus fees, then use the calculator on this page to see what is left for you to pay.